Jörg Hermann Fritz

The laboratory of Jörg Hermann Fritz focuses on understanding how innate host resistance regulates inflammatory and antigen-specific adaptive immune responses. In particular, he investigates how innate immune recognition of microbes and of infection-associated physiological changes activates pattern recognition molecules (PRM) such as Toll-like receptors (TLR) and Nod-like receptors (NLR) for the activation of mucosal and systemic immunity against commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. Focusing on the NLR members Nod1 and Nod2, the laboratory further studies the molecular and immunological consequences of innate immune recognition by non-hematopoietic stromal cells for the regulation of mucosal homeostasis as well as for the initiation of inflammatory and adaptive immune responses.